William h



W. H. HUTCHINS.

Potato-Digger.

Patented Nov. 19. 1867.

5 n venfm': j/ WM Witnesses:

guitar 1am' em1 ffirr.

WILLIAM H. HUTCHINS, OF-LO'CKPORT, ILLINOIS. Letters Patent 71,177, dated November 19, 1867.

v IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGGBR.

Be it kno vn that I, lVILLIAM H. Hurcnms, of the town of Lockport, in Will county, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement on a. Potato-Digger; andtI do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which said drawings make a part of this specification.

The nature of m invention consists in ar'ramin aset; of hooked ron s to the rear art of the mould-' r Y a g P P board or share of any plough, but generally to one in shape like that of a shovel-plough, in such a manneroas not only to sift the dirt out; from the potatoes as the hill is ploughed up, but to also act as a borrow from beneath, harrowing the hill from the bottom, pulverizing the earth, and separating the potatoes therefrom.

Inthe construction of a machine, I set the share or blade of the plough at one side of the-shin a, as shown in the drawings, for the purpose of allowing the horse to walk between therows. To the rearedge or back of the share or blade I attach the prongs b b, of tl1e peculiar shape shown in the drawings hereto annexed, placed at a sufiicient distance from each other to allow the earth to sift through between them. I,

I am aware that prongs or arms have been used'before, but never, as I believe, of the shape or in the particular manner here used, this performing as well the ofiice of a borrow from beneath asraok to sift out the earth. In order that the potato-tops and weeds may not catch on the outer ends of tlle'prjongspthe y are inclined a. little back. The most particular object is to barrow up under the bottom of the hill.

The operator, to bctter facilitate the separation of-the earth from the potatoes, shakes' the plough around as it passes along, which sii'ts the earth through between the prongs, and soatters'the potatoes on the surface.

The hooked knife c is for the purpose of pulling the vines and weeds around out of the way of the shin of the plough, or cuts them off; at the same time has a tendency to hold the plough more steady than it would otherwise run. i

What I claim as new in my invention, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent,'is.

The combination of the concave share or blade d, and the prongs b I), rigidlfi fixed thereto, and of the pooh liar and particular shape shown, all constructed and arranged as and for the purposes set forth.

WILLIAM H. Hummus.

Witnesses:

Tues. Hurcnms, F. B. COGHRANE. 

